ArticleEpidemiology and health2025
A large-scale norovirus outbreak associated with kimchi consumption across multiple schools in a Korean city in 2024.
Article in Epidemiology and health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesNorovirus is a major global concern for foodborne outbreaks. We investigated a large-scale norovirus outbreak in a Korean city to identify the source of infection and implement control measures.
methodsA retrospective cohort study was conducted. Data were collected from questionnaires and laboratory test results, along with an environmental investigation. Human and environmental samples were obtained.
resultsThe overall attack rate was 20.2%, with 862 cases among 4,276 individuals exposed across 24 affected schools. Norovirus GII.17 was detected in symptomatic individuals, asymptomatic food handlers, and cabbage kimchi products. Kimchi consumption was significantly associated with illness (relative risk, 3.85; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.12 to 4.74) and was confirmed as the outbreak source. In multivariate logistic regression, both high school status (odds ratio [OR], 1.49; 95% CI, 1.11 to 2.00) and kimchi consumption (OR, 5.56; 95% CI, 4.24 to 7.30) emerged as significant risk factors.
conclusionsKimchi contamination likely occurred either through ingredients or food handlers during the manufacturing process. This study provides key insights for prevention and rapid response to norovirus outbreaks, emphasizing the vulnerability of school food services. We highlight the importance of stringent food safety practices and routine training for food handlers, particularly in manufacturing facilities, given the role of asymptomatic carriers.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.